A few weeks ago I wrote an article stating my belief that if Apple did launch the budget model with a 4-inch display, it made little sense for the company to keep the iPhone 4S. My reasoning was that the 5C would become the free-on-contract device in the States, leaving little point for Apple to keep on selling the 3.5-inch model at the same price. But I didn’t consider one other alternative.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI Securities reports on his belief that instead of replacing the iPhone 4S that it would replace the iPhone 5. So, the lineup in his mind would be the iPhone 4S, 5C and 5S. He believes that the iPhone 5C would cost somewhere in the region of $400-$500 SIM-free. Going against the common consensus that it would more likely cost between $300-$400. If his prediction is correct, it’ll mean the end of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.

Personally, I’m not buying it.

The only reason Apple needs to release a new mid-range model is because, currently, the $300-$400 mid-range market is almost devoid of any sort of real competition. Samsung virtually has it to itself. Hence why its sales and revenues are growing so fast. It’s that market that Cupertino has to aim for, and it’s the only one that makes sense.

And then comes the idea of replacing an elegant, aluminum and glass iPhone 5 with a bright, cheerful and cheap, plastic phone. It’s completely the wrong move. For years, dropping the last year’s model down to a cheaper price when a new model is launched has been fantastic for buyers. Especially when it looks and feels almost exactly the same as the new one. For those looking to save a little money, it’s enabled consumers to buy a brand new device at a lower cost than the latest device would.

In short, I’d take this speculation with a massive pinch of salt. The iPhone 4S is too old, it used a 30-pin connector which no other current Apple product uses and has a 3.5-inch screen which no other iDevice will have come September. It’s the end of the line and it surely cannot last another year.

About Cam Bunton

Cam Bunton, Managing Editor. A film school graduate from the University of Cumbria, UK, Cam's past life was in mobile phone retail. His passion for cell phones got him in to that industry, and then in to this one. A family man with two kids, he somehow manages to balance his TiP duties with family life and a runaway Twitter addiction. He covers news, device comparisons, accessory and app reviews - pretty much anything and everything. Follow him on twitter: @TiP_Cam

WHY
If the iPhone 5 is going to have better specs and be higher quality than the cheap phone (please dont call it 5S – you will be mocked in headlines), why get rid of it? Better off selling 4S in developing nations where it still would be considered a higher end phone at a value price. Maybe thats why we’re not seeing huge discounts on the 5 with the 5s being announced in a couple weeks. Tmobile even just removed the 0 down for the iphone 5 which was perplexing

xuxu

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